Rain Garden Revisited

In February, it seems that winter will never end. I was organizing photos and came across a bunch of the yard. It was heartening to see the lushness of spring and summer and be reminded that the world will take on more shades of green.

In early spring, the rain garden isn't much to look at, but the fountain draws in birds like crazy. That white PVC is the power cord and it will soon be covered in leafy lushness. We have nesting blue jays, robins, and cardinals that call the yard home. The robins especially love a pool party and nest in the lilac tree overlooking the fountain.

By June, the China Snow Pekin lilac (Syringa pekinensis 'Morton') is in full glorious bloom and perfumes the entire block. Although it may sucker like crazy, it's now two stories tall and probably will keep going. It provides shelter for birds and blooms when few other trees are putting on a show. That's a Rivers purple beech (Fagus sylvatica 'Riversii') which I simply adore for the fact that it's emphatically purrrrrple!

In July, the rain garden really kicks into gear as it is planted mostly in natives and of those, many prairie species. It's a butterfly magnet and if you click on the photo, you'll see an Eastern tiger swallowtail deeply enjoying the liatris. This is when we are lured to the little patio to watch the garden literally buzz with insect life.The prairie plants keep on dazzling well into September, so we are a nice pollinator pit stop, too.

This is a functioning rain garden. It is about 10 x 12 feet and it holds about a quarter of the roof volume. It keeps that side of the basement dry and percolates in mere hours. We are spoiled with deep black loamy clay soil that drains, so I didn't have to do any amending when we dug this. Beneficial and beautiful!

Fallen Stars of Autumn

New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae)

Autumn stars have fallen to earth - as asters! October brings us a treasure trove of brilliant daisy-like flowers in a rainbow of colors. Smashing paired with grasses and evergreen shrubs, asters can be found from shade to sun. I love them for their late season color, but also because they are a last feeding stop for pollinators.

Calico Aster (Symphyotrichum lateriflorum)

We are blessed with a large variety of native asters in Illinois as well as a huge selection of cultivars on the market. The native asters can be quite rambunctious. I find that if you pinch them back in July, they will be much more bushy in habit and bloom later for an extended season.

'October Skies' aster (Symphyotrichum oblongifolium 'October Skies')

I do have a soft spot for one cultivar of aster -'October Skies'. This stunning large rounded plant features quarter-sized soft blue flowers with golden centers. I like to run my hands over the foliage as it is particularly fragrant. As with any aster, it is beloved by bees.

There are tall asters like Drummond's (Symphyotrichum drummondii) which can grow deep in the woods. There are tiny asters like heath aster 'Snow Flurry' (Symphyotrichum ericoides 'Snow Flurry') which is a groundcover that forms a soft wave of tiny white blossoms on needle-like foliage. There are robust plants like New England aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae) that resemble a shrub. With so many to chose from, they are easy to add to a perennial border or native landscape. The bees and migrating butterflies will thank you!